Holiday Inn Hefei Downtown — Hotel in Hefei

We stayed at Holiday Inn Downtown Hefei for six nights. It is a great property which offers easy walking access to the key sites in Hefei (Memorial to Lord Bao; Mingjiao Temple; Former Residence of Li Hongzhang) as well as the Peace Square, Wanda Plaza shopping center, Parksons shopping mall and the “walking street” (a pedestrian walkway filled with shops and various street vendors).||||We booked an Executive Club room and being IHG platinum we were upgraded to a beautiful two-room suite. It offered great views of the surrounding area. A new complex is being built across the street so that may ultimately impair some of the views. The room furnishings were very nice and included two huge flat-screen TVs as well as a mini-bar, water boiler and complimentary tea and coffee.||||We enjoyed the hospitality of the Executive Club lounge both in the afternoons and evenings. In the afternoon, it was a great place to relax and enjoy a cold beverage while snacking on peanuts that were grown in the area. Cookies also were available. In the evenings, there was a complimentary full bar (with top-label liquors as well as beers and wines) from 6:00PM – 7:30PM. You serve yourself or a staff member will gladly make the beverage of your choice. Since our stay was during the National Days holidays, the Club did not have its usual evening snack buffet. Instead, we were given a great appetizer menu from which to choose a variety of delicious dishes – hot and cold – which were then sent up from the restaurant. All staff members were excellent and truly made us feel welcome; in fact, like we were family! We enjoyed meeting and chatting with each of Susan, Connie and Elena. They were all very professional and friendly and each spoke excellent English (as did many other staff members).||||The breakfast buffet at Sirocco was excellent! Mr. Li and his chefs and wait staff do a terrific job. The restaurant features both Chinese and Western dishes. We especially enjoyed the noodle soup, prepared to order, each morning. The other dishes were all hot and tasty and were constantly replenished. Also, there was a great variety of fresh fruits as well as delicious breads and deserts. Mr. Li personally delivered fresh fruits to our room along with cookies and chocolates. Talk about truly personalized service!||||Hefei doesn’t yet receive a large number of Western tourists so it was nice to be off the beaten path. People on the streets are very friendly and genuinely excited to meet Westerners – especially from America – and often asked us to pose for photographs with them. While we don’t speak any Chinese and most people don’t speak English (outside of the hotel), gestures and smiles go a long, long way. ||||We’re definitely looking forward to returning to the Holiday Inn Downtown...

I thought I had booked the other Holiday Inn in Hefei but found the taxi taking ,me here. Having returned mainly for the breakfast I was not pleased to learn this one didn't know what French toast was, let alone offer it. ||||I requested they booked me into the one I intended (which they were willing to do) and the girl on reception asked me to spell what I wanted then disappeared. She came back to tell me they couldn't do maple syrup but the chef would cook the French toast for breakfast and give us honey. She put on such a disconsolate face that I had to relent. We stayed.||||As so often happens in life, unexpected surprises arise from errors. This was one of the best. I think we were upgraded to executive because the room was on the 23rd floor and was enormous. The entire hotel is spotless and the toiletries more than ample, in fact the disposable razor was the best i have ever had in any hotel. Most attempt to tear your facial skin off but I swear this could be used twice. There was HBO for western films on the TV along with BBC news - and a stocked minibar!||||Aircon worked very well and there was little to noise to disturb sleep. As a smoker it was a boon to be able to light up in the lobby bar and also a section of the restaurant. The staff mostly spoke reasonable English and they were very keen to please. ||||In the morning we went down for breakfast and there was a substantial array of food for both eastern and western guests and voila! A plate full of French toast and honey was produced - the chef had even made some for any other guests who fancied it. Maybe it will become a regular feature. ||||In conclusion, I have no compunction in recommending this hotel to any visitor to Hefei. Wonderful staff and reasonably priced. I think both the Holiday Inns try to outshine the other and there is little to differentiate but as an inveterate smoker this one...

This has now firmly established itself as "my" Hefei hotel. Prices are good and service, facilities etc are top rate. I visited twice in 17 days, both times booking an executive room. ||||Sirocco restaurant on the 2nd floor offers a good western breakfast always and in the evenings for 138 yuan a head there is an all you can eat and all the beer (bottled) you can drink buffet. This buffet is heaven for shellfish lovers - there are many types on offer and at intervals a "cowboy" comes around offering various barbecued meats. Any trencherman would not be disappointed. ||||The rooms are excellent and offer every toiletry you could need, including probably the best hotel disposable razors I have ever encountered. ||||My only gripe concerns the executive lounge. I pay extra not because i need a bigger room but for the inclusive breakfast and complimentary drinks in the early evening. The range of drinks is limited to whisky, bourbon, vodka, cognac and Kahlua (who the hell drinks that??) and yet my tipple is gin. They have none, which for me is disappointing, I rarely have chance to have a G&T in China. ||||The complimentary snacks, amazingly, comprise a selection of biscuits. That's it. Sometimes if you are not that hungry, in a good executive lounge you can dine purely on snacks such as chicken wings, pasta bolognese etc but not here. ||||If Holiday Inn's GM sorts out the executive lounge drink selection and lays on some actual food the place would be paradise. It remains however, "my"...